Anime sequel series may seem like an easy way to leverage the success of an established title, but the expectations and responsibility that come with following up on a beloved title, especially after a long wait, tend to have the opposite effect instead. Sequels must take great care not to alienate existing fans, while also adding enough new content to prove their value, which is a complicated issue to balance.
While some sequels successfully figured out how to improve their series, most end up falling short of their predecessors instead, with fans sometimes refusing to even acknowledge that these seasons exist, due to how significant the drop in quality is across different seasons. Other times, sequels simply diverge too much from what viewers liked about the original titles, feeling too disconnected from the rest of the franchise. The following anime sequels were greatly disappointing and their fans would certainly be interested in a remake.
10 The Promised Neverland Season 2
The story of The Promised Neverland‘s anime adaptation is one of extremes, with the first season being a breakout hit that took the anime industry by storm, while the second is often counted among the lowest-rated shows among anime fans. This series instantly captivated fans with its unique, intriguing setting and theme of survival, keeping viewers in suspense, wondering how the orphans of the Grace Field House are to escape their pursuing demons. Unfortunately, the second season not only completely skipped so many vital story arcs of its original source, but also excluded a highly important character, ruining the entire experience in the process.
9 Eureka Seven AO
As one of 2005’s most popular titles, Eureka Seven is a fantastic mecha show revolving around the Gekkostate, a group of free-spirited outlaws. While it starts off simple enough, it gradually reveals itself to be an epic adventure defined by its twists and turns. Unfortunately, six years after viewers fell in love with the original, Eureka Seven AO was released, much to the fans’ dismay. While the original show was praised for its diverse cast of interesting characters and well-developed, gripping story, the sequel was considered lacking in terms of those aspects, disappointing fans who were hoping for a similar experience.
8 Darker than Black: Gemini of the Meteor
Darker than Black is an entirely original Sci-Fi thriller that managed to attract a passionate fanbase with its compelling characters, mysterious setting, and intense action scenes. However, the issue with its second season is that, while a decent show in and of itself, it simply fails to live up to the expectations set by its predecessor. The much-beloved characters were suddenly changed for no reason. Moreover, new, far less interesting ones, were introduced, and so many mysteries remained unsolved. Instead of exploring the truth behind the Heaven and Hell gates, this sequel was seemingly satisfied with telling a story that no fan was interested in.
7 Tokyo Ghoul √A
Even in a year as full of memorable titles as 2014, Tokyo Ghoul managed to stand out thanks to its dark, creative horror setting, as well as its willingness to embrace gore as part of its storytelling. The story follows Kaneki Ken, who, after being turned into a human-ghoul hybrid, is forced to explore the mysterious society of ghouls quietly invading Tokyo. Unfortunately, in spite of its intriguing premise and fantastic original source, the anime adaptations were more negatively received each season, with issues such as the exclusion of significant story arcs afflicting the experience, making it feel rushed and incomplete.
6 Black Butler II
Black Butler is a show set in the Victorian Era, that follows young Ciel Phantomhive, aided by his demonic butler Sebastian, as they serve the Queen of England from the shadows. Viewers were instantly enthralled by the immersive world, unique characters, and creative, emotional story. However, while the second season does have its fans, it remains largely known as the franchise’s black sheep. With its story diverging completely from the original source, and missing much of what made the original so special, the series’ future seemed to be doomed. Thankfully, more sequels came after, saving the title’s reputation in the process.
5 Aldnoah.Zero Part 2
As an original title with no established original source to adapt from, Aldnoah.Zero was always going to be a gamble, coming out at a time when mecha shows had fallen out of flavor, and choosing to heavily rely on CGI, which the anime world was still apprehensive about. In spite of everything, the show found success with viewers who were entranced by the engaging high-octane action scenes depicting the war between Earth and the Vers Empire. And then came the second season, which, for no apparent reason, chose to undo everything that had previously happened, refusing to acknowledge the resolutions that fans had already accepted.
4 Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon
As one of the early 2000s’ most popular titles, InuYasha‘s world is one that enthralled many anime fans, even serving as some people’s introduction to the anime medium. The show follows the adventure of the eponymous protagonist and half-demon boy, Inuyasha, who, together with Kagome, a modern girl who was forcefully brought to the past, must recover the shards of the Shikon Jewel. Despite being set in the same world, Yashahime is a sequel that fans neither asked for nor enjoyed. From the characters to the story, the show simply has too many issues to be enjoyable, even when taking into account the effect of nostalgia.
3 The Seven Deadly Sins: Imperial Wrath of the Gods
The Seven Deadly Sins may not have been the most original shonen title, but it successfully offered an incredibly enjoyable new take on the classic action-adventure fantasy formula. Its creative sin-based characters, high-quality art and music, as well as the promising story, were more than enough to keep viewers intrigued and interested. However, things suddenly took a turn for the worse with its third season, Imperial Wrath of the Gods, when Studio Deen took over the project initially handled by A-1 Pictures. Not only was the animation infamously downgraded, but the story also became more convoluted, altogether making the experience difficult to follow and enjoy.
2 Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny
While not as popular as most other titles on this list, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED is a fascinating show that many Gundam fans continue to hold in high regard even 20 years later. It revolves around the engrossing war between the Natural human race and the genetically modified Coordinators, where assessing the good and evil sides is no easy task. While this show is highly appreciated for its compelling characters and intriguing story full of shocking revelations, its sequel, SEED Destiny, lacks in those areas, overall being regarded as a highly unoriginal downgraded version that offers little value to viewers.
1 Berserk (2016)
In spite of its age, the original Berserk show is still known as one of the most influential, interesting, and unique tales of the anime medium. Unfortunately, fans who were hoping for Berserk (2016) to be the sequel/reboot to bring the franchise into the spotlight for modern audiences, felt nothing but disappointment. Compared to the 1997 title, whose depiction of Guts, Griffith, and the Band of the Hawk remains a timeless classic, the sequel simply fails in every regard, from the way it handles the story, to the sound design, and last but not least the infamous CGI-reliant art.
While sequels represent something for anime fans to look forward to, hoping for their favorite stories to be continued and expanded on, they are just as likely to end up disappointing fans instead. In fact, the anticipation and hopes attached to sequels only increase the likelihood that they may crumble under the pressure. Fortunately, everything can happen in the world of anime, so fans can still hope that one day these disappointing anime sequels will get a remake that will live up to expectations.
